Indian sailor killed in Hormuz attack; FSUI Asks: ‘How Long Will We Count Deaths?’ | Today’s news

An Indian crew member was killed and eight others were injured after two Emirati oil tankers came under attack by Iranian cruise missiles while passing through the Strait of Hormuz, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Ministry of Defense said on Tuesday. The ministry said the tankers, Mombasa and Al Bahiyah, were targeted in the southern lane of the strait in Omani territorial waters. The deceased crew member was on board the Mombasa.

Hours before the sailor’s death was officially confirmed, the Forward Seamen’s Union of India (FSUI) in a post on X expressed concern over the growing number of Indian sailors caught up in the conflict. The Union asked how long India would continue to “count the deaths of our seafarers” and urged the government to take stronger measures to protect merchant mariners operating in the increasingly volatile region.

“How much longer will we count the deaths of our sailors? When will the government step in?” read post X by FSUI.

“The Strait of Hormuz is getting more and more dangerous”

Quick answers to key questions

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One Indian sailor was killed and eight others were injured when two Emirati oil tankers, Mombasa and Al Bahiyah, were attacked by Iranian cruise missiles while passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

The Strait of Hormuz has become increasingly dangerous due to rising tensions and hostilities between the United States and Iran, leading to attacks on vessels passing through this critical waterway.

The UAE Ministry of Defense condemned the attack as a serious violation of international law and affirmed its full right to respond to the escalation and protect its territorial integrity and citizens.

Many are advocating stronger intervention by the Indian government to protect its seafarers, as voiced by the Indian Union of Forward Seamen in light of escalating dangers in the region.

Renewed tensions sent benchmark Brent oil prices higher as concerns over disruptions to oil supplies through the Strait of Hormuz grow, impacting global energy markets.

It further listed Indian-manned vessels that were attacked, including MT Settebello, MT Marivex, MT Jalveer, MT Safesea Vishnu and Mombasa, calling for stronger intervention through international bodies such as the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the International Labor Organization (ILO).

“One by one our brave Indian seafarers are losing their lives. The Strait of Hormuz is becoming more and more dangerous. Families are grieving and in many cases the bodies of those killed have not even been brought home,” the post continued.

The UAE Ministry of Defense further said that of the eight injured, four were seriously injured. Six of the injured were Indian nationals and two were Ukrainian nationals.

“The attack also caused material damage to both tankers as a result of fires that broke out on board and which have since been brought under control,” the UAE Ministry of Defense said in a statement. Condemning the attack, he said the UAE retained “full right to respond to this escalation”.

Renewed hostilities in the Persian Gulf

The attack comes at a time of renewed hostilities between the United States and Iran in West Asia. The latest escalation came after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) targeted a vessel in the strait, prompting Trump to declare the ceasefire with Tehran “over”. The US also launched strikes against Tehran last week.

Iran retaliated by attacking Gulf countries, including the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. Bahrain, home of the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet, sounded missile warning sirens after the renewed attack, according to the Associated Press. Jordan said it intercepted four missiles that entered its airspace from Iran, according to its state news agency.

Several reports citing Kpler data indicated that traffic through the Strait of Hormuz is slowing again, with confirmed crossings down around 52% week-on-week between July 10 and 12.

US President Donald Trump said on Monday that Washington was reimposing a blockade on Iranian shipping in the Persian Gulf and would ensure the Strait of Hormuz remained open, warning that US forces would attack Iran “very hard” after the latest exchange of missile and drone strikes between the two countries.

Battle for control of the Strait of Hormuz

The latest round of confrontation intensified the battle for control of the Strait of Hormuz, through which about a fifth of the world’s oil and natural gas supplies passed daily before the conflict escalated. The heightened tensions also rattled energy markets, with benchmark Brent crude up 7.8% to $81.92 a barrel, though still below a peak of nearly $120 a barrel seen at the height of the conflict, the Associated Press reported.

On July 12, US Central Command announced that it had resumed strikes against Iranian targets, adding in a social media post that the operations would “continue to impose heavy costs on Iranian forces and impair their ability to attack innocent civilians and commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.”

Meanwhile, in a post on Truth Social, Trump said the US was reimposing the “Iranian blockade” and merchant ships would be charged a “20% rate on all cargo carried” through the strait, but did not explain how that would work.

“The Strait of Hormuz is OPEN and will stay OPEN, with or without Iran. We are reimposing the IRANIAN BLOCKADE,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “The United States will henceforth be known as the ‘GUARDIANS OF THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ,’ but as such, and in JUSTICE, they will be replaced by a loss with a 20 percent tariff on all cargo shipped,” he added.